Sunday, February 13, 2011

Tim McGraw and his Palatine ancestor Jost Hite

After seeing the show Who Do You Think You Are? last Friday night, I realized I wanted to know more about the German Palatine ancestry of Tim McGraw. Having Palatine ancestry myself, I feel a connection to his story. I like to find out how a family’s history fits into the history of our country. I like to find out why families do what they do which I guess is a reason I am drawn to genealogy.

You can read a transcribed story of the History of the Palatine Immigration. It begins with the earliest Palatine immigration and where they settled in the United States. It also tells about the “Golden Book”, mentioned on Who Do You Think You Are?, which encouraged the Palatine people to leave their homes in the Rhine country for London to eventually settle in the Carolinas, or other of Her Majesty's colonies. It also tells of the tremendous hardships the Palatines found as they settled, and how they were cheated in New York.

Books
I did find the story of Hans Josh Heydt, or Yost Hite, as his name is sometimes written, in a digitized book at Ancestry.com called Virginia Prominent Families, originally published in 1907 by Louise Pecquet du Bellet.

“In 1710, Hans Josh Heydt, or Yost Hite, as his name is spelled in English documents dated at the time of his emigration, a native of Alsace, Germany, came from Strasburg to New York, with his wife, Anna Marie, née du Bois, and their little girl, Mary. He came in his own ships, Brigantine Swift and Schooner Friendship, bringing with him sixteen (some say more) Dutch and German families, as tenants for lands he expected to settle.

Hite remained in Kingston, New York, until 1715, when he came south to Germantown, Penn. In 1717, we find him on the Schuylkill River, where he bought lands, and in 1720 built a mill at the mouth of Perkiomen Creek, and a dwelling house, which is at present (1907) the country home of Gov. Samuel Pennypacker, of Pennsylvania, and became a thrifty, enterprising farmer and manufacturer. The mills are now called Pennypacker's Mills.

At this time the Indians, maddened by the encroachments of the whites, took revenge by making raids upon the colonists in both Pennsylvania and Maryland, ruthlessly murdering settlers and destroying property.”

The book continues telling the story of Jost/Yost Hite and their children. It states that Yost Hite could not get the Governor of PA to help protect the settlers from the Indians, so he left for Virginia.

Magdelene Hite, Jost’s daughter, and Jacob Chrismann , her husband, were the ancestors of Tim McGraw.

Magdelene Hite, third daughter of Yost Hite, like her two older sisters, married before she came to Virginia. Her husband, Jacob Chrismann, was a German and came to America from Swabia. They also settled near Yost Hite and their home became known as Chrismann Spring, where they died, leaving a large family of children.

I enjoy reading the stories of the pioneer families, but I found the story of Tim McGraw’s ancestors sadly ironic. Jost Hite left New York to settle in Pennsylvania. Because of the Indian raids there, he left Pennsylvania in 1730 to go to the Shenandoah Valley where years later (according to the historian on Who Do You Think You are?), Jost Hite’s grandson (and Tim McGraw’s ancestor), Isaac Chrismann, was killed along with two of his sons in an Indian raid.

Hans Jost Hite can be also be found in the family trees at Ancestry.com. This family tree which includes Hans Jost Hite is well-sourced with a source citation for almost every entry. In addition to the family tree which includes his parents and descendants, there are written stories and photos of documents, houses, and monuments including one of the Historical Marker for Jost Hite.

9 comments:

Jost Hite Ancestors,I too watched the program with Tim McGraw checking his family links. My great grandfather married a Carrie Christman, which is our father's mother's mother, which traces back to Jacob Cristman (Born in 1711) from Germany. Does that make Tim a Drake long lost cousin?Mr. Jeff Drake

My wife is also a Palatine descendant. (Johann Christian Gerlach) I found a book that is a must-have if you're researching your Palatine ancestry or just interested in the Palatine immigrants. It is titled 'Becoming German. The 1709 Palatine Migration to New York'. It was written by Philip Otterness and published by Cornell University Press ISBN 978-0-8014-7344-9. Awesome book. Kevin Townsend

My wife is also a Palatine descendant (from Johann Christian Gerlach). Anyone who is a descendant or is just interested in researching the history of the Palatines must read the book 'Becoming German: The 1709 Palatine Migration to New York' by Philip Otterness published by Cornell University Press. ISBN 978-0-8014-7344-9. Kevin Townsend

I am also a descendent of Jost Hite (Heydt). His daughter, Elizabeth, married Paul Froman, Sr and they settled in Nelson Co., Ky. Not sure if Elizabeth is an older sister or younger sister of Hite's daughter who married Isaaxc Chrisman.

I also am a descendant of Jost Hite through Issac Chrisman and Magdalena Hite. I am so glad that Tim McMagraw did the show. I got so much more info on my family. My father told me that we were part Indian on the Chrisman side. Issac and Magealena did live on the edge of Indian Territory. Maybe that happened after Issac and one son was killed by Indians. It would have not been mentioned because that was a disgrace then. Info anyone?

I also am a descendant of Jost Hite through Issac Chrisman and Magdalena Hite. I am so glad that Tim McMagraw did the show. I got so much more info on my family. My father told me that we were part Indian on the Chrisman side. Issac and Magealena did live on the edge of Indian Territory. Maybe that happened after Issac and one son was killed by Indians. It would have not been mentioned because that was a disgrace then. Info anyone?

I would love to find the connection to the Indians on the Chrisman side. My cousins have done the family research and found no connection. I was always told by my father that we were part Cherokee. The time and tribe were right for the Issac Chrisman time. If he were killed there was no one to protect the women. I agree that info would not be in the family history as it would have been a disgrace. I would love to prove it however. Any info anyone?my personal email is :littlesister777@hotmail.comthanks

I'm also related to Justus Yost height H ITE through Jacob Chrisman then Isaac George Chrisman then George Chrisman then John B Chrisman then William Riley Chrisman and John Samuel Chrisman then Robert Lotus Chrisman then Billy Norman Chrisman

I've also heard the stories that we are somehow related to Native Americans and am interested if anyone comes up with information on this please email me at Lmkhawam@gmail.com

Be interested to know whether Yost Hite, Tim McGraw's ancestor is related to Jesse James's cousin Robert 'Wood' Hite, born in Kentucky in c.1850 and murdered by Bob Ford and Dick Liddel in 1882. gavster70@gmail.com